Satan/Atom By Atom/Listenable Records/2015 CD Review

  Satan  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  are  from  the  NWOBHm  era  and  plays  a  proto  form  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Atom  By  Atom"  which  was  released  by  Listenable  Records.

  Power  metal  style  screams  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  yet  melodic  speed  metal  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  traditional  metal  style  of  singing  and  the music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  70's  and  early  80's.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  which  they  also  mix  in  with  a  great  amount  of  proto  thrash  elements  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  the  classic  and  melodic  NWOBHM  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  shouting  style  vocals  and  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  on  the  last  track  which  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Satan  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  NWOBHM  and  proto  thrash/speed  metal  sound that  was  established  on  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Mythology  and  historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Satan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  NWOBHM,  power,  speed  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Farewell  Evolution  1"  "The  Devil's  Infantry"  "Ahriman"  and  "The  Fall  Of  Persephone".  8  out  of  10.

Green Death/Manufacturing Evil/EMP Label Group/2016 Full Length Review

  Green  Death  are  a  band  from  Des  Moines,  Iowa  that  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  mixes  both  the  old  school  and  modern  styles  of  the  genre  together and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016 album  "Manufacturing  Evil"  which  will  be  released  in July  by  EMP  Label  Group.

 Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  power  metal  style  screams  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  getting  more  aggressive along  with  some  back  up  gang  shouts.

  While  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  past  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  and  clean  playing  along  with  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls.

  Green  Death  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  aggressive  and  melodic  style  of  thrash  metal  of  the  mid  80's  and  takes  it  into  a  more  modern  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  profesisonal  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Green  Death are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Manufacturing  Evil"  "Soulless"  and  "Devil's  Night".  8  out  of 10. 

Mizery/Absolute Light/Flatspot Records/2016 CD Review

  Mizery  are  a  band  from  San  Diego,  California  that  plays  a  very  aggressive  form of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Absolute  Light"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Flatspot  Records.

  A  very  distorted  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  they  take  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some   aggressive  hardcore  style shouting  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  influences  of  thrash  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  some  elements  of  east  coast  style  hardcore.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  some  songs  also bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Mizery  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  east  coast  hardcore  style  of  the  90's  and  mixes  it  with  some  thrash  elements  and  also  takes  the  genre  into  a  more  modern  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  poetic,  spiritual  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mizery  are  a  very  great  sounding  hardcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "One  Kiss"  "The  Bvtcher"  "Discrimination  Of  The  Eye"  and  "The  Hard  goodbye".  8  out  of  10. 

The Process/The Covenant Of The Cosmos/At War With False Noise/SuperFi/2016 LP Review

  The  Process  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  very  brutal  and  metallic  form  of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Covenant  Of  the  Cosmos"  which  will  be  released  in  July  as  a  joint  effort  between  At  War  With  False  Noise  and  SuperFi.

A  very  hard  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drums  kicking  in  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier direction  along  with  some  electronic  music  sounds  being  used  briefly  in  the  background  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  the  vocals  are  also  done  in  a  very  aggressive  hardcore  screaming  style  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  punk  and  extreme  metal  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief use  of  death  metal  growls  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavy  and  aggressive  style  of  hardcore  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  Process  plays  a  style  of  hardcore  that  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  extreme  metal  while  also  having  its  melodic  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Hermetic,  Rosicrucrian,  Freemason  and  Illuminati  themes.

  In  my opinion  The  Process  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  metallic  hardcore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ceaseless  Burning  Desires"  "Covenant  Of  The  Cosmos"  "V.I.T.R.I.O.L"  and  "Ouroboros".  8  out  of  10.

Lightsabres Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
I'm recording a new album. With a drummer this time so it's gonna be the first album where I don't play every instrument myself.
Also it's the first album I'm recording in a proper studio instead of in my living room.

2.You have a new album coming out in July, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
First off, it's already been released digitally and on vinyl back in April by UK label HeviSike Records. The cassette release on MCR comes
with a bonus track though. Musically I'd say it's slower and not as raw as the previous albums, with a couple of songs that are more
psychedelic than heavy.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Love and death, basically. I write more about feelings than of wizards and goblins. But I don't really like discussing the lyrics, they're about
whatever you as a listener want them to be about. If people can relate that's great.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lightsabres'?
Well, it's clearly inspired by Star Wars, but that's the only Star Wars connection. I just thought it was a cool band name!

5.What are some of the best shows that the band ha splayed so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Lightsabres have never played live, as I'm the only band member.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Nothing planned. I've thought about putting a live band together, but it's only on the planning stage right now. We'll see what happens with that.

7.The new album is coming out on 'Medusa Crush Recordings' are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
MCR have released "Demons" and "Beheaded" on cassette before and I have no complaints, haha. Mathieu is a great guy who knows what he's doing, I'm really
proud to be part of the MCR roster.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of hard music?
It's been great. When "Demons" was released I was a actually surprised how well it was received by the stoner/doom-audience, I thought I had recorded a punk album!
Or "stoner-punk" as I like to call it. I've sold records to the US, UK, Germany, Finland, Argentina, Sweden... even to fucking Indonesia! Which is super cool.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The album I'm recording right now is gonna be faster and heavier than anything I've done before, mixed with some more laid back moments. And less lo-fi, the lo-fi days
are over, for now at least. But after that I have absolutely no idea, maybe an all acoustic album, that could be cool.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Danzig-era Misfits, Smashing Pumpkins and Thin Lizzy are probably my main influences, maybe some Alice In Chains and Queens Of The Stone Age too.
I grew up listening to a lot of the US grunge/alternative bands of the 90's, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, STP, Screaming Trees, Dinosaur Jr, Soundgarden etc...
and I think all of them have influenced me, in one way or another.
I'm listening to so much music all the time, 70's rock, doom, death metal, psych, goth, shoegaze, prog. There's so much good new music coming out all
the time it's impossible to keep up, but I'm trying!  

11.What are some of your new musical interests?
I've been getting into jazz lately. I've always thought jazz was boring, but I've realized, if you listen to the right kind of jazz, it's actually really weird
and completely fucked up music, in a good way!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I think we're living in very exciting times when it comes to heavy and psychedelic music, and I'm just happy I can be a part of that. Keep on rockin!

Doomain Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
1) Doomain it’s a traditional-Doom Metal band, inspired by the feelings of the Epic Doom. Less frippery, evil riffs, epic melodies; totlly old-school.

2.Recently you have released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2) Seems stupid but I just tried to write some songs. That’s all. No intros, less riffs, refrains.
It’s not a commercial purpose, I just wanted to play the essence. The 3-minutes-intros are boring, like the long solos or the psychedelics stuff which can’t make you feel something. My house window overlooks on a cemetery and I just tried to create solemns, cemeterial and epic sounds. Nothing more.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
3) The thing that I really hate is to write lyrics, I’m not very able to do that job.
My lyrics speaks about blood, fights, wars, death, honor and bullshits like these ones.
I can speak about all, it’s not a limit for me. Said this, my lyrics will never speaks about religion or politic in a serious way. These are only tales, just entertainment.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Doomain'?
4) Taking the d(o)omain of the Doom Metal world! Becoming the number one! I’m joking, obviously.


5.With this project you record everything by yourself but have had experience playing in a full band, how would you compare the 2?
5) Obviously the best for a musician it’s playing with other peoples, but even if I live in a city like Milan,
finding someone for a more-members band it’s still hard, above all for a genre like the traditional Doom Metal. This is not my first “solitude experince”, also years ago, with my Punk band called “Gore”, I was the only one in the project. At least with the time I learn many things which helpes me when I’m alone. About the vocals it has been really hard, I didn’t sung for many years and my voice is rusted, for now. Anyway, for the next album, there will be a real drummer!



6.Are you open to working with other musicians in a live sitting or are you planning on keeping this as a studio project?
6) At the moment no, I don’t want to bring Doomain in live side, but we’ll see in the future.


7.The demo was released on 'Masked Dead Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
7) Masked Dead Records it’s an emerging and crazy label. Matteo (the owner) it’s at his debut,
and makes fantastic things that only a young man can do, that is all what he wants. Fuck the music business.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?
8) Masked Dead Records printed 50 copies, so speaking about it it’s a little big. Doomain it’s a very little band. But many of the copies has been sold out of Italy, and I am really happy with this.


9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
9) In the future? As new Black Sabbath member!
Sincerely, I don’t know which will be my “doom”, but I just hope to keep playing good music.
Today I like the dark world of Doom Metal, toworrow… Who can say what I’ll play?


10.What are some of the bands or musical projects that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10) A lot! You ready? First of all, the finnish Sarcofagus, a stunning band! “Envoy of Death" (1980, a massive masterpiece) it’s not totally Doom but it’s very dark and evil. Kimmo Kuusniemi guitar parts are fabolous, same for the “harsh” vocals of Jukka Homi ! The album has been repressed in 1996 by Mellotron Records, which years ago had a shop near my house. Obviously the other main influences comes from Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath & Dio, maybe the best “Metal” singer ever. The italians Death SS, Angel Witch, Manowar, Warlorld and the great Scald, an underground band that any fan of the Epic Doom should know. The other influences comes from the extreme Metal, like Nifelheim , their “Devils Force” it’s a masterpiece: the evil and melodic use of the guitars, sons of Iron Maiden and Treblinka it’s incredible!
I also want to recomend you two italians bands: Psychedelic Witchcraft and Hands Of Orlac, two Rock/Doom fantastic band, very different compared to Doomain. I also love the old school Death Metal (‘80’s/’90’s), Elvis’ Rock’n’Roll, Meteors’ Psychobilly, Misfits’ Punk and many other stuff.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

11) I am a very curious guy: I collect old toys, comics, bands’ and film’s t-shirts, cds/lps, dvds, films’ posters. I also love photography and cooking.


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12) Yes sure, THANK YOU. This is the most important word I want to tell you.
If underground bands still exists it’s only cause of you, which within the bands you live in the underground; like us, for only passion. THANK YOU, really. – Gore Soprano

Fistula/Longing For Infection/2016 Full Length Review

  Fistula  are  a  band  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Longing  For  Infection"  which  will  be  released  in  July.

  Annoying  type  vocals  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  thrash  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  more  of  a  hardcore  style  along  with  some  screaming  vocals  along  with  some  touches  of  crust  and  d  beat  and you  you  can  also h ear  an  influence  of  thrash  in  the  music.

  Spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  riffs  also  utilize  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of   slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while all  of  the  songs  remain  true  to  a  heavy  musical  direction  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  melodic  fashion.

  Fistula  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  hardcore  influenced  style  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  religion,  drugs,  death  and  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fistula  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  hardcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Too  Many  Devils  And  Drugs" "Destitute"  and  "Detox".  8  out  of  10.